Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Downy or Ashy Sunflower....Helianthus mollis

If you drive by the Fern Valley Prairie this week, or next, you will mostly see one plant, this one, Helianthus mollis. It is fairly rowdy, that may be an understatement; it has spread by seed and pretty much taken over the entire area. The construction doesn't faze it one bit. Maybe not a plant that you would want in your suburban garden except for the fact that it can hold, by my actual count, 7 goldfinches and the flower stem didn't even bend. That's pretty good. Wish I had gotten a picture. I do have pictures, not good ones, with 5 goldfinches on Verbena bonariensis, but the 2' stem is bent double and almost touches the ground!

No comments: